


Closing Out the Day

by stepOnMeZenos



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Black Mage Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Established Relationship, Gunbreaker Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), M/M, Sexual Content, Trans Male Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-25
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:14:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21737410
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stepOnMeZenos/pseuds/stepOnMeZenos
Summary: What happens when you give a gunblade to a black mage?Zenos, for his part, rather likes the results.
Relationships: Zenos yae Galvus/Warrior of Light
Comments: 6
Kudos: 50
Collections: Final Fantasy XIV Gift Exchange (2019)





	Closing Out the Day

**Author's Note:**

  * For [indefensibleselfindulgence](https://archiveofourown.org/users/indefensibleselfindulgence/gifts).



> Happy holidays. Hope you like it!

Sorkhatu handling a sword was a most unusual sight, as his interest in this manner of weapons was only surpassed by his lack of talent for wielding them. Despite this, he was now seated at their living room table, polishing what was clearly a gunblade, though the cartridges scattered on the table were unfamiliar to Zenos. 

So absorbed in his task was he that he did not even seem to notice his presence. He didn't look up from the blade until Zenos pulled the other chair back and sat down opposite of Sorkhatu. 

“Oh. Hello. I didn't hear you come in.“ Sorkhatu set the sword down next to the cartridges and stretched. The dark scales covering his throat moved ever so subtly in response to the motion; a sight that never failed to delight Zenos. 

“I've known you to be so absorbed in a book, or perhaps in puzzling out a new spell, but a gunblade?“ Zenos cast another glance at the weapon. It had an odd shape, very unlike the ones he had used himself; shorter, with a broader blade and a much more sizeable cartridge cylinder. 

“I met a Hrothgar the other day who offered to teach me after I did him a favour. On a whim, I accepted, and I've found it unexpectedly… interesting.“ 

Zenos raised an eyebrow.

“You see,“ Sorkhatu continued, “this gunblade here is quite different from the ones the Empire uses—the ones you undoubtedly wielded yourself at some point. It uses… oh, but why tell you like this? I could simply show you.“ 

“I will never decline to spar with you. You know that.“ Suddenly, this previously mediocre and unremarkable day transformed into something wonderful before his very eyes. Not only did he get to spend time with his beloved beast, they would also dance together again…

He reached out and wrapped a hand around Sorkhatu's left horns. The scales rubbing against his skin were cool to the touch as always, and as always Sorkhatu made a small pleased sound as he leaned into the touch. 

It wasn't quite the same as rubbing horns with another Au Ra, or so Sorkhatu always said, but it was close enough. Plus, it gave him an opportunity to touch that beautiful auburn hair.

Then Sorkhatu pulled free and began popping the strange cartridges into the cylinder. They clicked into place quite loudly. “I'm rather eager to test this out properly. We can do more of this… afterwards.“ 

“I shan't be the one to delay matters. I will await you outside.“ Zenos rose.

There was a training ground outside the house for a reason.

The sword rested lightly on Sorkhatu's shoulder; an unusual stance, perhaps, but no more so than Zenos' own. He had thought the blade looked awkwardly short, but now, upon seeing it in Sorkhatu's hands, it was clear that it was the right size for him. Sorkhatu had neither the reach nor the strength to wield a longer blade efficiently. 

Of course, his stance still left much to be desired. Even from the other side of the training ground, Zenos could see that his legs weren't positioned well. 'Twould be trivial to push him off balance even without being far stronger than him. 

Much as he _itched_ to correct it, however, that was not what Sorkhatu had asked of him today. He had tried molding his beast into a warrior akin to himself before. It would not work. They were both far better off if he allowed Sorkhatu to grow on his own, without undue interference.

And as an added bonus, it resulted in little surprises such as this. Whatever Sorkhatu had in store had to have to do with magic somehow, as naught else would render him so interested in a weapon, but that gunblade did not seem like a good conductor for magic, based on what limited knowledge Zenos held. So what was it he had planned? How intriguing. 

He drew his katana. “You shall have the first strike. Impress me.“

Sorkhatu raised the gunblade and pulled the trigger. 

Instead of a bullet, a massive flare of aether burst forth from the muzzle. Zenos leapt aside and cast a brief glance at the sizeable groove in the ground where he had stood but a moment ago, then looked at Sorkhatu, who was rubbing his shoulder.

“That had a lot more kick than I expected,“ he muttered.

Zenos lowered his sword. There was no point in attacking while Sorkhatu's guard was down. Instead, he eyed the destruction wrought on the ground by merely one of the cartridges that had lain on the table—for what else could have possibly caused this? And there it was, that spark of excitement, a glimmer of what he felt when he and Sorkhatu fought in earnest. That little jolt in his chest that made his breath hitch just so…

“Do it again,“ he said. 

“I knew you would say that.“ Sorkhatu grinned. 

He aimed the blade at Zenos.

Zenos raised his own, ready to charge.

And then, they danced until the sun kissed the horizon.

The training ground was in shambles. Deep grooves marred the soil, and one of the practice dummies erected at the border had been torn cleanly in half by an errant surge of aether from Sorkhatu's wondrous new weapon. 

A different surge had caught Zenos ere he could fully dodge. It had burned partly through his armor and cut deeply into his side; a lethal wound it was not, but it throbbed painfully, and warm blood stained his clothes beneath the armor.

It was _bliss_ , plain and simple.

“That was the last one I prepared,“ Sorkhatu called out. “I dare say we should better stop here, anyroad...“ He, too, bled from multiple injuries, most notably a deep cut on his shoulder. It had not been a truly serious fight, but what was the point if both of them went away from it unscathed?

Zenos laughed. “What a marvel of a weapon you have discovered!“ He sheathed his sword and stumbled over to Sorkhatu, who had not brought a sheath and thus simply placed the gunblade on the ground. 

“I didn't think it would be quite so effective,“ Sorkhatu said. Oh, that breathless voice, thin with exhaustion from the fight. 'Twas the most beautiful sound in the world. “I saw potential in the cartridges, as they're infused with magic, and who better to do that than me? I've surpassed my own expectations of myself.“

“That is the secret, then? Cartridges created using your magicks? I see...“ Zenos looked at the weapon. It didn't look impressive, lying in the dirt as it was. Perhaps he could make improvements to it—render it more useful to Sorkhatu and his cartridges… 

“The Hrothgar who taught me—and who I suspect wouldn't be very happy if he knew I'm sharing this with you—explained how to infuse the cartridges properly, and I've simply… expanded on the concept. By using black magic. The end result was, ah, as explosive as I probably should have expected.“ Sorkhatu stepped closer. “Let's get that wound treated. It's bleeding too much for my liking.“ 

“No,“ Zenos said. He wrapped his arms around Sorkhatu and pulled him up and close against his chest, then gave him a kiss. Sorkhatu squirmed a little, but then relaxed and leaned into it.

“I wish to feel it a little longer,“ he continued after they had separated. “'Tis a sensation most pleasant, I would not miss it...“

“Zenos, you are bleeding out. It will still hurt after I take care of it, I promise.“ 

Zenos sighed. This had become a common occurrence ever since Sorkhatu had begun studying healing magicks, citing this very type of situation as a reason. “Oh, if you must.“

“Don't worry,“ Sorkhatu said as he wiggled out of his grasp. “I still can't do more than still the bleeding and prevent an infection anyroad.“ He held out his right hand just over Zenos' wound. Light engulfed it and then spread over to the injury. As always with Sorkhatu's healing spells, a sudden flash of heat spread through the affected site, temporarily dulling the pain. Then Sorkhatu withdrew his hand and the sensation returned instantly.

“There,“ Sorkhatu said. “All good.“ The selfsame glow enveloped his body briefly, and when it vanished, his own wounds had partly closed. “Now, how about we go inside, wash up and then enjoy the rest of the day together? How does that sound?“

“You need not even ask.“ 

Later on, after a visit to the bathtub and drying each other off with a specially prepared fire crystal (something Sorkhatu claimed was trivial to implement), they lay curled up and naked in the canopied bed Sorkhatu had insisted on when they had moved in.

“Tell me more about what you did with those cartridges,“ Zenos said after they had finished arranging all their limbs, and Sorkhatu had snatched a lock of golden hair to play with. 

“You are familiar with the polarity of astral fire and umbral ice?“

“Yes.“ Sorkhatu had taught him quite extensively, after all, even though he could not use any of it himself. 

“The traditional method of making cartridges doesn't use aspected aether. Instead, the cartridges are constructed in such a way that the aether they're infused with is released in exactly the manner to produce the desired effect. If one combines that technique with compressing aether of varying aspects into the cartridge, however, there are boundless possibilities for massively powerful attacks. A combination of two vastly different arts of combat.“

“Such as?“

Sorkhatu shifted in his arms. His barbed tail came to rest on the arm Zenos had wrapped around his narrow waist. The spikes felt pleasantly prickly. “Well,“ Sorkhatu said, “today's cartridges mainly made use of fire-aspected aether, which is what made them so… explosive. One might say I simulated a flare spell and stuffed it into a cartridge, perhaps. I plan on testing lightning-aspected aether—you're quite familiar with those spells, no?“

“Indeed,“ Zenos murmured. Sorkhatu would not need to spend time casting spells on the battlefield with this technique. Unleashing his considerable might as a black mage simply by pulling a trigger… Such an exciting thought… 

“Don't tell me you are seriously feeling aroused over this.“ Sorkhatu laughed. “Really? That's ridiculous even by your standards.“ 

Zenos looked down at himself. It was true. His member had grown semi-erect over his fantasies. 

Sorkhatu propped himself up on an elbow and grinned up at him. “If you find the idea that compelling, then I suppose I have no choice but to outdo myself with my experiments, hmm? But until then, how about we make use of that?“

As Sorkhatu slipped a hand between his legs, Zenos reflected that this was a nice way to close out the day, too.

Yes. Very nice indeed.


End file.
